List O' Mania

I'm trying a new approach to organizing the impending disaster that has become my life and apartment. I was actually really motivated and excited last Friday to clean the trash dump that we've been calling home sweet home... yet that somehow fizzled away... quickly. Hard to imagine that scrubbing toilets and doing laundry would tip the fun scale, I rented Mario Party 8 from blockbuster instead. Now, with only five days until my sister-in-law arrives and we head off for vacation, I am faced with the undeniable fact that I am going to need clean underwear and a clean spot for her to put her bags.
So as I was saying, a new approach. I have made lists. Lists of stuff that needs to be done so I don't stare blankly at the overwhelming tornado of crap that has taken over every room of our two-bedroom stankuary. I also made a list of important things that I need to have taken care of to bring with us on the trip. Naturally, I wrote them in pen so when I got stuck in one of Florida's daily downpours I ended up with a soggy piece of paper that looks like I wiped my nose on it- BUT that's okay because I still know what it says.
There is a list of 14 things on my cleaning agenda and as of 10:00 when the last load of laundry finishes, I will have completed two of them! This sounds laughable, yes, but lets think back to this weekend when I played the Wii like a ten year old for several hour straight.

I'm liking this list thing. Its so simple! I wonder if it can solve my other life's problems. I bet if I made a list, I wouldn't forget to bring important things to the gym with me like makeup or deodorant. *Note: About to go off on a tangent---

The morning gym goers are a different breed than the night owls. I feel like a pregnant, bloated baboon lumbering through the locker room as women of all ages are getting ready for work and looking beautiful and skinny. They have curlers and hair dryers and makeup, perfume, fancy lotions and clothes with colors in HD that haven't seen a washer more than 30 times. I have to say, that is intimidating to me. I would love to be one of those women, but since I can barely make it to the gym in the morning if I do at all, I rush through my laps in the pool, shower, throw on jeans and a t-shirt, minimal make-up, drag a brush through my hair and go off to work in flip-flops. On the one hand, I LOVE that. On the other, I see the night people who are less motivated and more slovenly for the most part and I am one of them. The night people sit around and waste time on the machines chatting with others and talking on the phone. The night people are taking up all the cardio equipment with attatched televisions. The night people don't have the same look about them... they look like me. I bet they even go home and eat cookies.
*** end tangent---

So... what? Oh yeah. Lists. So I wouldn't ever have to run home from the gym in a panic again. I could make a list of what I need to do at each moment of the day:

6:30am: Get out of bed.
6:40am: Seriously. Get out of bed.
7:00-7:30am: Swim laps
7:30-8:00am: Shower and get ready for work. Avoid eye contact with the girls who probably think you are the janitor.
8:30am-6:00pmish: Design books to make kids more smarter.

ETC. ETC.

I wonder if this would somehow set off a mental trigger to motivate me. I have tried planners and account books and all that crap before and I lose interest or just plain lose them in a day or two.
Well, what have I got to lose.

I'll let you know when I cross more chores off my list. Clearly I am currently procrastinating. At least I'm not playing the Wii.